Parliament ends abruptly due to differences over benefits

Parliament reconvened on Thursday for a brief session as the House had to adjourn due to concerns raised about conditions of service and end of service benefits for Members of Parliament (MPs)

Members of the Minority led by Dr Anthony Akoto- Osei, MP for Old Tafo raised the issue and called for either an adjournment or suspension for a joint caucus meeting to enable members to address the concerns.

Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker who was in the chair therefore adjourned sitting until Friday, January 4.

Before the adjournment Alhaji Rashid Pelpuo, Deputy Majority Leader, told members that he was not privy to any information that the joint caucus would be addressing and urged members to work on issues on the order paper, but his view was not accepted.

Mr Agyemang Manu, MP for Dormaa West, disagreed with the Deputy Majority Speaker stressing: “What is the value of the order paper... Let’s go and get the information and then come back to continue the sitting.”

Mr James Avedzi Klutse, Chairman of the Finance Committee, reminded the members of the implication of their action.

“If the House failed to approve the loans agreement on the order paper and Parliament is dissolved on Friday January 4, the new Parliament will then have to form a new Committee and then work on it all over again, which also means that the House could lose the loans,” he said.

He explained that the loan agreement was time bound but Parliament could still debate and approve them by Friday and Sunday before the dissolution of the House.